Minor cannot be put in lock up: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file response within a week on detention of a 10-year-old rape victim by police in Bulandshahr, when she approached them to lodge a complaint.

"A minor cannot be put in lock up," a bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir said while expressing its displeasure over the incident.

The bench also asked advocate Anita Shenoy to assist it in deciding the matter in which it took suo motu cognisance of media reports about detention of the girl.

The incident allegedly took place on April 7 when the girl had gone to a general store close to her house to buy some essentials. She was reportedly taken away by the accused, who raped her and fled.

When the victim and her parents went to the police station for filing a complaint, the girl was kept in the lock-up of the Mahila Thana for several hours.

After the incident came to light, two women constables on duty at that time were suspended while the Mahila Thana in-charge Gayashree Chauhan and sub-inspector Sarita Dwivedi, who were first sent to the Reserve Police Lines, were later removed.

Bulandshahr police yesterday claimed to have arrested the accused who had allegedly raped the minor.